Review: Intel-based Samsung Chromebook 2 Runs Faster, Lasts Longer
What a difference a processor makes. While the CRN Test Center has never been impressed with the Celeron processor for running Windows, Intel's Celeron does an excellent job running ChromeOS. A fine case in point is the Samsung Chromebook 2, a paper-thin laptop with its silver body and charcol-chicklet keys that is oddly reminiscent of an Apple MacBook Air. But with a $249 list price, Samsung's 11-inch Chromebook 2 is about one-fourth the price.
Shipping since October, Samsung's Intel-based Chromebook 2 is built around an Intel Celeron N2840 2.16 GHz dual-core processor and an 11.6-inch 200-nit LED-lit screen. Though its maximum resolution of 1,366 x 768 is technically considered HD, a pixel density of 135 ppi seems paltry by today's standards. Its full-sized HDMI port put out a far more impressive 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, which can mirror, extend or replace the laptop display. The unit comes with 2 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L RAM and 16 GB of storage. The RAM is not expandable.
A microSD card slot on the unit's left-hand edge can be used to expand storage or to move files on and off the machine. The slot is protected by a retentive cover. Also nearby are the HDMI port, USB 3.0 I/O port and power input. The power connector, despite its right-angle plug, is needle-thin and should be considered one of the unit's weakest points. A small 26-watt power brick attaches to AC power via a three-pronged "Mickey Mouse" (IEC-C5) power cord. On the right-hand edge are a USB 2.0 port and 3.5mm headset jack.
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Other standard equipment includes Wi-Fi ac with two antennas, Intel HD Graphics, a 720p webcam and mic and a pair of 2-watt stereo speakers on the unit's underside. These small, down-firing speakers deliver minimal bass response, but they're loud and free of distortion. The 2-cell Lithium Ion battery is rated for nine hours of continuous use.
To put battery life to the test, we copied a digital media file to the Chromebook's internal storage, cranked the brightness to its full 200 nits and played the movie until the battery ran out. Incidentally, after copying the file, we yanked the USB stick out, prompting ChromeOS to warn that failure to eject a removable device could result in data loss. How very Mac-like. Battery life in tests was on par with claims; we got about eight hours from a single charge.
Samsung's latest Chromebook is a thin, handsome unit that weighs just 2.6 pounds. For comparison, the 11-inch MacBook Air tips the scales at 2.4 pounds. Samsung's Chromebook measures 11.4 inches wide by 8.6 inches deep by 0.66 of an inch thick, measurements quite similar to Apple's smallest MacBook. Its outer covering is made of a leathery material that gives it slightly grippy feel. In addition to media playback, Chromebooks can open, edit and save Office-style documents without an Internet connection, but run precious few other apps on their own, but that's changing. The Chrome Web Store currently lists several hundred apps.
For the classroom, training room, collegiate library, homework station or other always-connected location, the Samsung Chromebook 2 (model XE500C12) offers a low-cost means to specific ends with more than ample processing power. Offline capabilities, growing numbers of apps and a more mature Google Management Console make the platform more viable than ever for the enterprise as well.
PUBLISHED NOV. 19, 2014